Examples
Single span
Below is an example configuration file for a single span structure.
base_dir: ./ # Base directory where code is being run
output_dir: ./output # Where to save output to
log_level: info # Verbosity used in logging
cores: 2 # Number of cores to use when processing
width: 9 # Width of structure
height: 2 # Height of structure
steps: 1 # Steps to generate nodes
stress_tensile: 1.0 # Tensile stress
stress_compressive: 1.0 # Compressive stress
joint_cost: 0.0 # Joint costs
loaded_points: # Loaded points
- [0, 2]
- [1, 2]
- [2, 2]
- [3, 2]
- [4, 2]
- [5, 2]
- [6, 2]
- [7, 2]
- [8, 2]
- [9, 2]
load_direction: # Load direction
- 0.0
- -1.0
load_large: 3.75 # Large load
load_small: 0.204 # Small load
max_length: 18.0 # Max length
support_points: # Support points
- [0, 0]
- [9, 0]
member_area_filtering: 0.001 # Fraction of maximum member area for output threshold
cvxpy:
solver: clarabel # See <https://www.cvxpy.org/tutorial/solvers/index.html?h=solve#choosing-a-solver> for further details
filter_levels: [1.0] # List of values to filter by if empty no filtering is performed
primal_method: load_factor # Primal method
problem_name: arch_testing_smaller # Problem name
csv_filename: results.csv # Filename to save results to, if left as `results.csv` will have YYYY-MM-DD-hhmmss added
notes: smaller arch test # Notes to include
plotting:
run: true # Whether to plot the trusses
bar_thickness: 0.3 # Bar thickness when plotting
dpi: 1200 # Dots per inch when plotting
The setup of this example is represented by the following image (produced using the
LayOpt truss layout optimization web tool):
A copy of the above configuration can be downloaded by right-clicking on
single_span_config.yaml and saving it to your working directory (alternatively, copy
and paste the above text into a file called single_span_config.yaml and save it to your working directory). You can then
run this job with:
The output in the terminal should include the following (with a different date & time):
2026-06-26 16:10:41.567 | INFO | layopt.layopt:trussopt:894 - Volume (filter_level = 1.0): 269.64787019560805
and the output directory will contain the following plot and a CSV file output of results:
Square cantilever
This example is adapted from Subsection 7.2 of Fairclough et al. (2023).
base_dir: ./ # Base directory where code is being run
output_dir: ./output # Where to save output to
log_level: info # Verbosity used in logging
cores: 2 # Number of cores to use when processing
width: 8 # Width of structure
height: 8 # Height of structure
steps: 1 # Steps to generate nodes
stress_tensile: 1.0 # Tensile stress
stress_compressive: 1.0 # Compressive stress
joint_cost: 0.0 # Joint costs
loaded_points: # Loaded points
- [8, 0]
- [8, 4]
load_direction: # Load direction
- 0.0
- -1.0
load_large: 50 # Large load
load_small: 5 # Small load
max_length: 16 # Max length
support_points: # Support points
- [0, 0]
- [0, 1]
- [0, 2]
- [0, 3]
- [0, 4]
- [0, 5]
- [0, 6]
- [0, 7]
- [0, 8]
member_area_filtering: 0.001 # Fraction of maximum member area for output threshold
cvxpy:
solver: clarabel # See <https://www.cvxpy.org/tutorial/solvers/index.html?h=solve#choosing-a-solver> for further details
filter_levels: [1.0] # List of values to filter by if empty no filtering is performed
primal_method: load_factor # Primal method
problem_name: square_cantilever # Problem name
csv_filename: results.csv # Filename to save results to, if left as `results.csv` will have YYYY-MM-DD-hhmmss added
notes: square cantilever three load points # Notes to include
plotting:
run: true # Whether to plot the trusses
bar_thickness: 0.3 # Bar thickness when plotting
dpi: 1200 # Dots per inch when plotting
The setup of this example is represented by the following image (produced using the LayOpt truss layout optimization web tool):
A copy of the above configuration can be downloaded by right-clicking on
square_cantilever_config.yaml and saving it to your working directory
(alternatively, copy and paste the above text into a file called square_cantilevel_config.yaml and save it to
your working directory). You can then run this job with:
The output in the terminal should include the following (with a different date & time):
2026-06-26 16:17:32.151 | INFO | layopt.layopt:trussopt:894 - Volume (filter_level = 1.0): 2070.3703705771877
and the output directory will contain the following plot and a CSV file output of results:
